Six soil profiles were selected in a drained lowland area at Coruripe Sugarmill, aiming to characterize acid sulfate soils occurring in the lowplain of the Coruripe River Valley, in the coastal humid zone of the state of Alagoas. The soils were morphologically characterized, and samples were taken from each horizon to determine particle size distribution, bulk and particle density, total porosity, pH (H2O and KCl), organic matter, exchangeable bases and CEC, soluble sulfate and electrical conductivity of the saturation extract. The differences between the studied soils were mainly determined by the thickness, amount and degree of decomposition of the organic matter in the surface horizons, and are dependent on the position of the soils in the landscape. Large amounts of organic matter were found , with values between 15 and 77% of the soil weight, and have great influence on physical properties, despite the heavy clay texture of the soils. The sulfuric horizons were found to be between 45 and 90 cm depth, in the Gleisols, and between 15 and 43 cm depth in the Organosols. The cation exchange capacity is very high in all soil profiles, due to the large amounts of organic matter. Exchangeable aluminum and hidrogen were the dominant cations resulting in the distrophic character of profiles 2, 3 and 6, and allic character of profiles 1, 4 and 5. The electrical conductivity showed high values (≥ 4,0 dS m-1) in some of the sulfuric horizons due to the presence of H+ in the soil solution related to the formation of sulfuric acid from oxidation of sulfide. According to the results, the studied acid sulfate soils were classified in the Brazilian system as: Gleissolo Tiomórfico Hístico típico, álico; Gleissolo Tiomórfico Húmico típico, distrófico; Organossolo Tiomórfico Sáprico térrico, distrófico; Organossolo Tiomórfico Sáprico térrico, álico; Organossolo Tiomórfico Hêmico térrico, álico; Organossolo Tiomórfico Hêmico térrico, distrófico. The criteria established in the Brazilian System of Soil Classification appeared to be adequate to the classification of the studied soils.
acid sulfate soils; Gleisols; Organosols; Soil taxonomy